Drivers

Where is Trucking on Their Agendas?

March 10, 2000
• by Staff

Okay, now that John McCain is out of the race, do either of the remaining candidates know a truck from a trowel or transportation from transgression?Sen. McCain (R-AZ) is Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and arguably the Senate's leading advocate for truck safety. But he was knocked out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination on Super Tuesday, which also spelled doom for former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley's race for the Democratic nod.That leaves Texas Gov. George W. Bush on the Republican side and Vice President Al Gore for the Democrats. If either of these guys are concerned about trucks, trucking or even transportation in general, it isn't apparent on their official web sites.A "trucking" keyword search of the official Bush site turns up exactly one reference to a "Debbie Pettigrew -- trucking small business owner" who joined the Bush campaign in the Maine's Piscataquis County last year. The word "truck" turns up in reference to two truck drivers, one of whom joined the Bush campaign in Georgia and another who simply showed up at an Iowa rally.A search under "transportation" turned up 22 documents, none of which had anything to do with, well, transportation. Vice President Gore must do better, right?

That's a matter of opionion.At the official Gore site, the word "trucking" smoked out nine irrelevant documents. But the word "transportation" hit pay dirt -- more or less. In one press release, the United Transportation Workers Union endorses Gore, which is not exactly a surprise. After all, the vice president campaigned among striking Teamsters outside a Overnite terminal in Tennessee. But transportation as other than a labor issue showed up only in the context of Gore's Agenda for Rural America. Turns out Al's in favor of roads and rail service in the countryside. Surely, both candidates have ideas and positions on trucking safety, efficiency and prosperity. It would be nice if they were a bit more forthcoming.

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